CannMed Coffee Talk

Another CannMed Summit is in the books. To all of you who joined us in Puerto Rico this year, thank you for making it our best event yet!  This year’s summit brought together clinicians, regulators, researchers, cultivators, patients, and entrepreneurs from more than a dozen countries. The enthusiasm and passion that they brought to the sessions and the networking events created an amazing environ...

Dr. Shiksha Gallow currently serves as the Medical Director of the Holistic Integrative Healing Institute and is notably the first and only South African to sit on the Board of Directors of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians. Dr. Gallow’s passion lies in leveraging her medical and scientific expertise to develop Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) from cannabis and other plant species to trea...

Morgan Keefer is the Senior Accreditation Officer at A2LA where she works with and assesses cannabis testing laboratories across the United States.  Since joining A2LA, Morgan has presented about Laboratory Shopping, Proficiency Testing, and Microbial Testing in the cannabis industry at Cannabis Science Conference, A2LA’s Annual Conference and PITTCON. At CannMed 25 she will present “ A...

Dr. Dustin Sulak is a traditional osteopathic physician and expert in integrative medicine. His clinical practice in Maine focuses on treating refractory conditions in adults and children. Dr. Sulak is an internationally-renowned expert in medical cannabis, the author of Handbook of Cannabis for Clinicians: Principles and Practice, and co-founder of Healer, a medical cannabis education resource an...

Zamir Punja, PhD is a Professor of Plant Biotechnology at Simon Fraser University in Canada. His research interests include the etiology and management of plant diseases on vegetable and horticultural crops, and the applications of plant biotechnology for disease management. Since 2018, his work has shifted to researching cannabis, where his group has described a range of previously unreported pat...

Dr. Dedi Meiri is an Associate Professor at the Technion Institute where he heads the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Cannabinoid Research. The lab investigates the vast therapeutic potential of secondary metabolites from cannabis and other herbs, algae, and psychedelic mushrooms; and reveals how these naturally occurring metabolites affect various types of cancer, inflammatory diseases, and diso...

Michael Petersen has over 38 years of experience as a researcher and mentor in both the private and public plant biotech space. He has over 50 issued patents and his work in plant transformation and gene expression is a passion. Mike has worked on many genetic engineering/editing contracts with entities across the globe, and he now focuses on innovative hemp research. At CannMed 25, Mike will shar...

Israel Gasperin is a visionary entrepreneur, engineering scientist and the founder of Zentrela, a company dedicated to transforming cannabis research through advanced neurotechnology and AI. Under Israel’s leadership, Zentrela developed the Psychoactive Effect Level (PEL) metric, an innovative EEG-based measure capable of objectively assessing cannabis products’ psychoactive potency. By...

Shawna Vreeke, PhD is Head of Research at True Terpenes, where she is instrumental in developing and maintaining the rigorous safety and quality protocols the brand is known for. Shawna is an active advocate for science-based safety parameters to protect consumer health and has worked with policymakers to implement sensible regulations to protect public health and maintain access to regulated cann...

Dr. Staci Gruber is the Director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core at McLean Hospital’s Brain Imaging Center and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Gruber launched Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) in 2014, the first ever program of its kind designed to clarify the long-term impact of medical cannabis use. MIND supports num...

Dr. Punya Nachappa is an Associate professor at Colorado State University in the Department of Agricultural Biology. Her research program focuses on understanding the interactions between plants and insect vectors to manage plant pests and diseases in hemp. At CannMed 25, Punya will present “ Biology and Management of Hop Latent Viroid “, which will describe the impact of HLVd on hemp...

Dr. Michelle Peace is an internationally recognized forensic toxicologist and a Full Professor in the Department of Forensic Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. The National Institute of Justice has funded her team to study the proliferation of semi-synthetic THC analogs in the unregulated market and define their relevant biomarkers. Her work impacts public health and public safety polici...

Dr. Nicole Gauthier is a Professor and Extension specialist at the University of Kentucky.  Her program focuses on disease management of specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, and hemp.  In her Extension role, she develops educational and outreach programs to help growers manage disease through identification, understanding of pathosystems, and integration of management strategies. Her rese...

Ed Leclere and David McKillop have teamed up to create High Science, a new TV series premiering on YouTube TODAY November 27th featuring Medicinal Genomics and CannMed. David is an Emmy-award-winning producer with an impressive background in creating hit shows like Duck Dynasty and Pawn Stars. He brings his storytelling expertise to the cannabis space, teaming up with Ed Leclere to launch a show t...

Kevelin Barbosa-Xavier is a PhD student in Plant Biotechnology at Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro (UENF) where she conducts research under the supervision of Thiago Motta Venancio. She is a computational biologist, investigating the genes and gene networks involved in plant secondary metabolic pathways and fiber production, specifically in the Cannabis sativa species. Kevel...

Laura Barrett, MBA, BSN, RN, known as “Nurse Laura,” is the Founder and Executive Director of the National Clinical Director Consortium and the Owner and Operator of Ask Nurse Laura. She serves on the boards of several non-profits, including the Connor Sheffield Foundation. Nurse Laura is dedicated to educating individuals and groups about cannabis and psychedelic medicine options, whether in smal...

With a BSc. in molecular biology and an MSc. in physiology, Liz has studied the human body through many lenses. The focus of her PhD program (Pharmacy) is to explore disorders that have directly impacted her life in the world of professional contact sports, and how cannabinoid products could potentially play a role in these.  As a member of the clinical trial team that was recently awarded fu...

Megan Mbengue is the revolutionary force behind Trusted Canna Nurse. With over 10 years of nursing experience in diverse fields like oncology, labor delivery, and hospice care, she brings a unique perspective to her practice. She also holds national certifications in three nursing specialties and a Master of Science degree in Medical Cannabis Therapeutics. Codi Peterson is the Chief Science Office...

Justin Esquivel is CEO & Geneticist, Green Luster Phenos™ and has been an influencer and leader in the cannabis industry for 15 years. Esquivel was the head grower and geneticist of an indoor commercial-scale cultivation operation back in 2012.  Justin has consulted with over 100 cannabis facilities, 72 of which operate commercial canopies.  Esquivel provides home growers with pest a...

Dr. John Streicher is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology in the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona. He has built a long-term research program focused on finding improved treatments for pain. This has encompassed multiple approaches over the years, including testing cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid constituents of Cannabis sativa, identifying new ways to target opioid recept...

Dr. Harold Han is Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Vertosa, and the pioneer in water compatible cannabinoid ingredients for infused products. Harold designed the industrial leading cannabis emulsions that are widely applied in the cannabis beverage brands. Harold holds 16 patents in emulsion applications, and prior to founding Vertosa, he led a team that developed the emulsification oil for...

Dr. Deb Kimless has been in the medical cannabis field since 2013 where her diverse involvement spans many areas including cannabis cultivation, processing, formulation, testing, patient care, and conducting research. She consults within the industry as an advisor for companies who are interested in novel formulations specific to medical conditions, develops protocols, obtains IRB approval, conduc...

David Aronson is a cannabis educator who since 2018 has directly educated more than 5,000 health professionals nationwide on the medical applications of cannabis. He is on the faculty for PESI, one of the nation’s largest providers of professional continuing education, and he independently provides seminars for health professionals nationwide. I learned during our conversation that David als...

Zac has been involved in the cannabis industry since 2005. He has had experience with all kinds of growing environments. From outdoor plots in Northern California to warehouses throughout the United States, his journey has taken him to almost every corner of the country. Zac worked at some of the most reputable supply companies and cultivations before landing his job at BioSafe Systems. He is the...

We will be back with new episodes of the CannMed Coffee Talk Podcast next month! Please be patient as we recharge following the CannMed 24 Innovation and Investment Summit, and prepare for next year’s event! Be sure to sign up for email alerts at  CannMedEvents.com  so you will receive notifications when we publish the CannMed 24 oral presentation videos and announce details for Ca...